Interviewed for a school in Cambodia with the Director at the BKK job fair a few years back, who spent 28 of the 30 minutes talking about his kids and what they were doing in the school because they were just so clever and amazing. Even got to the point that he took out their photos to show me. Every question he asked (minimal) he answered by saying what his kids would think of my answer.

Didn't go there, he was waaaaay too odd. Found out later that the guy was a nightmare to work for, so my instincts were right.

As a postscript, I was about to apply for a job at a new school recently, until I realised he was now the director there. Needless to say I didn't send the application; hearing another essay about his wonderful children was not worth the pain.

I know someone who worked at the Overseas Family School, and told some real horror stories about the place in the past few years (so recent). Don't touch it.

Hello all

I am looking at posts in North Africa, and would like to hear from anyone who is currently or has recently been in North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya) about how you feel living there, and how safe it is to be there. After all the activity in recent months, I am still debating whether to apply, or if I am just being over-cautious. Thank you!

Thank you all for your comments. I, too, am drawn to Africa, though I have no idea why! I guess am looking for a place where I can feel like I make a difference and can enjoy my school experience, as my recent experiences here in SE Asia have been less than inspiring. I would love to go north to Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, etc, but have concerns about the situation there at present. There are some jobs in Egypt that look interesting, but just how safe it would be is the big question!

OK, so I have searched and searched, and can find no information about the schools in Cameroon, or anything from anyone who has taught or lived there. Can anyone enlighten me? What is Cameroon like? What are the schools like? Any comments would be appreciated! Thank you! :D

One reason why this place is so underutilised at the moment is because it is so badly organised. When I first got here I found there were only two areas, and one was completely useless, being the second - the topics listed in it have absolutely NOTHING to do with its heading. Seems nobody really knows what it is for, including me. Make it more relevant, and easier to navigate, and people will use it properly.

So, how about this:
International Schools - Questions about specific schools and what they are doing/what they are involved in/what they are like to work for.
Search Associates, ISS, and other Agencies - reviews, experiences, hints and suggestions for fairs.
Conditions/Packages/Comparisons - Offerings of packages and inclusions from different schools, and comparisons of each. What are expectations, and/or experiences?
Living Overseas - Information about locations where people are teaching, what is good/bad about them. Questions about locations, costs of living, etc. Things that really aren't associated with teaching, but living in general.
Open Chat - The forum for open chat, with nothing to do with any of the above. Any topic you like, within reason, to chat with your colleagues.

That's my 2c worth.

:D

First international school experience at UNIS?? Forget it. UNIS don't look at anyone without international school experience behind them already, and even when you have it, it has to look really REALLY good, or you won't even get to an interview. They are a very popular choice, probably because they are one of only two schools with "United Nations" in their name, and are more than a bit picky with who they recruit, some might even say snobby... but hey, I guess they can afford to be.

Hi! I have spent the last two and a half years in Hanoi, and really like it. OK, so it's not for everyone, but it's a good place to be for me...

The Pros:
- Vietnam is really cheap to live in, especially if you are prepared to live like the locals and eat the local food/shop in local shops. You can spend as much or as little as you want here, and still stay quite comfortable.
- Easy travel opportunities, all over the country, and beyond. Very cheap to travel.
- Less people than China. For me that makes a difference.
- A government who, on the whole, tend to be a little more flexible than the Chinese, but they still have their beaurocratic tendencies.
- People are very friendly, both Vietnamese and expat (though I will elaborate on this in a moment). Vietnamese are very accepting of expats, particularly if you make an effort to speak the language (though it's a really, really hard language to learn!)

The Cons (I am trying to be really honest, from my point of view):
- Just because Hanoi is in Vietnam, doesn't make it hot all year. It aint. It gets REALLY cold here in winter, so if you are thinking of Hanoi for weather, forget it. At least it doesn't snow here, but houses are not really built for the cold, so bring your ugg boots.
- The traffic is horrible, but if you are game and can get on a scooter and ride around, it's bloody awesome. Scooters everywhere here, easy to get a hold of one, and easy to ride one, once you get used to the millions of others on the road, though if that's not for you, the traffic may be a down point.
- Western living is expensive here. If you need your specific western groceries and eat out a lot in plush places, your cash will run out pretty quick.
- The expatriate community here has many different facets, though I think it's the same in every country. I don't know about China, but you really notice here that there's a lot of English teaching backpackers who teach and drink, and teach, and drink, and did I mention they drink? Depending on the school you end up in, you may be teaching alongside some of them, so be warned. They are definitely NOT here to provide quality education to their students.

Here, it's not what you know, it's who you know, and some schools are definitely better to work for than others. Perhaps if you could give me the name of the school you are looking at here, I can tell you a bit more about it? Feel free to email me if you want to ask specifics about Hanoi, happy to help out! :)